Excess body fat, or adipose tissue, may be present at various locations of a subject's body and may detract from personal appearance. Excess subcutaneous fat under the chin and/or around the neck can be cosmetically unappealing and, in some instances, can produce a “double chin.” A double chin can cause stretching and/or sagging of skin and may also result in discomfort. Moreover, excess adipose tissue in superficial fat compartments can produce loose facial structures, such as loose jowls, that also cause an undesirable appearance. Excess body fat can also be located at the abdomen, thighs, buttocks, knees, and arms, as well as other locations.
Aesthetic improvement of the human body may involve the selective removal of adipose tissue. Invasive procedures (e.g., liposuction) for this purpose, however, tend to be associated with relative high costs, long recovery times, and increased risk of complications. Injection of drugs for reducing adipose tissue, such as submental or facial adipose tissue, can cause significant swelling, bruising, pain, numbness, and/or induration. Conventional non-invasive treatments for reducing adipose tissue may include regular exercise, application of topical agents, use of weight-loss drugs, dieting, or a combination of these treatments. One drawback of these non-invasive treatments is that they may not be effective or even possible under certain circumstances. For example, when a person is physically injured or ill, regular exercise may not be an option. Topical agents and orally administered weight-loss drugs are not an option if, as another example, they cause an undesirable reaction (e.g., an allergic or other negative reaction). Additionally, non-invasive treatments may be ineffective for selectively reducing specific regions of adiposity. For example, localized fat loss around the neck, jaw, cheeks, etc. often cannot be achieved using general or systemic weight-loss methods.
Furthermore, aesthetic and/or therapeutic improvement of the human body may involve treatment or alteration of non-lipid rich tissue as well as lipid rich tissue, and again conventional treatments sometimes are not suitable for many subjects and cannot effectively target certain regions of tissue necessary for an effective treatment. For at least the foregoing reasons, there is a need for innovation in this field of aesthetic and/or therapeutic improvement of the human body.